Swami Vivekananda on Youth and Yoga

To the Youth

Responsibility “Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.”

Conviction “Be an atheist if you want, but do not believe in anything unquestioningly.”

Faith “The old religion said that he was an atheist who does not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself”

Focus “When one works with concentration, losing all consciousness of oneself the work that is done will be infinitely better. Every one may have experienced in his own life”

Education “Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man.”

Education “We must have life-building, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library”

Purpose in Life “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”

Develop Physically “You will understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger.”

Think Positive “We are what out thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”

Caring Mind “Do you feel for others? If you do, you are growing in Oneness. If you do not feel for others, you may be the most intellectual giant ever born, but you will be nothing.”

True Happiness “Unselfishness is God” “There never was a person who found happiness in enjoyment of the senses. Happiness is only found in the Spirit.” “Unselfishness is God”

Integrated Personality Body Mind Intellect Ātma Annamaya Pranamaya Manomaya Vijnanamaya Anandamaya Body Vitality Mind Intellect Spirit

Yoga “To become harmoniously balanced in all these four directions is my ideal of religion. And this is attained by what we, in India, call Yoga — union.”

Suitable Path for Each One Karma Yoga – Path of Action Bhakti Yoga – Path of Devotion Raja Yoga – Path of Meditation Jnana Yoga – Path of Knowledge

Yoga “Which one suits you?” “To the worker, it is union between men and the whole of humanity; To the mystic, between his lower and Higher Self; To the lover, union between himself and the Personal God; To the philosopher; it is the union of all existence. This is what is meant by Yoga.” “Which one suits you?”

Karma Yoga “The manner in which a man realises his own divinity through works and duty.” “First it is feeling, then it becomes willing, and out of that willing comes the tremendous force for work that will go through every vein and nerve and muscle, until the your body is changed into an instrument of the unselfish Yoga of work”

Bhakti Yoga “The realization of the divinity through devotion to, and love of, a Personal God.” "Bhakti is intense love to God. When a man gets it, he loves all, hates none; he becomes satisfied for ever. This Love cannot be reduced to any earthly benefit, because so long as worldly desires last, that kind of Love does not come.”

Raja Yoga “The realisation of the divinity through the control of mind.” “Each one of the steps to attain Samadhi has been reasoned out, properly adjusted, scientifically organised, and, when faithfully practised, will surely lead us to the desired end. Then will all sorrows cease, all miseries vanish; the seeds for actions will be burnt, and the soul will be free for ever.”

Jnana Yoga “The realization of a man's own divinity through knowledge.” “Whoever sees in every being that same Atman, and whoever sees everything in that Atman, he never goes far from that Atman. When all life and the whole universe are seen in this Atman, then alone man has attained the secret. There is no more delusion for him. Where is any more misery for him who sees this Oneness in the universe?”

Global Mission

Mission “Spirituality must conquer the West. Slowly they are finding out that what they want is spirituality to preserve them as nations. They are waiting for it, they are eager for it.

Who will do it? “Where are the men ready to go out to every country in the world with the messages of the great sages of India? Where are the men who are ready to sacrifice everything, so that this message shall reach every corner of the world?...

Who will do it? …Such heroic spurs are wanted to help the spread of truth. Such heroic workers are wanted to go abroad and help to disseminate the great truths of the Vedanta.”

Youth Power “My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation. Out of them will come my workers. They work out the whole problem, like lions.”

Team Up “A few whole-hearted, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century.”

and if you can bring out that power, Are you ready? “If you think that the infinite power, infinite knowledge, and indomitable energy lie within you, and if you can bring out that power, you also can be like me.”